Method of dyeing yarn



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,701

4 E. E. CARLSON ET AL METHOD OF DYEING YARN Filed May 17, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l FlGii WITNESSES; INVENTORS:

NOW. 13, 3928. 3,691,701

E. E. CARLSON ET AL METHOD OF DYEING YARN Filed May 17, 192'? 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNE55f5: INVENTORS:

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E. E. CARLSON ET AL METHOD OF DYEING YARN Filed May 17, 192? 5 Shets-Sheec 5 WITNE-5.ES: INVENTOR-S:

A TTORN Y.

Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. CARLSON AND LAWRENCE A. ASTEAJ), or onns'rnn, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF DYEIN'G YARN.

Application filed May 17,

Due to the afiinity of the dye chemicals in the bath for the material in the yarn, the strength of the liquor is gradually diminished with the result that the first part of a warp passed through the bath is dyed a deeper shade than is the last part. This variation in shade is not a serious defect in yarn to be used for some purposes, while for other purposes, notably for the production of knitted fabrics, the color of the yarn must be uniform throughout.

When it is desired to produce a uniformly dyed warp, the usual method is to wind it into skeins, hang the skeins onto poles, in-

sert the poles in a suitable rack, and immerse' same'in a dye bath. I This requires the unnecessary operations of reelingthe warp into skeins and winding the warp from the skeins as well as requiring considerable hand labor in hanging the skeins onto poles and inserting the poles in a rack.

v The principal object of our invention is to "provide amethod of dyeing warp yarn in open form, without tension, so as to produce a uniform color throughout each warp.

, This object, and other advantageous ends which will appear hereinafter, we attain in the following manner, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an appara= tus adapted for carrying our invention into effect,

Figure 2 a view similar to Figure 1 but shown partly in section and having certain parts omitted,

Figure 3 is a front View, drawn to a larger scale, of the plaiting mechanism shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 a fragmentary sectional view, partly in full and drawn to a still larger 1927. Serial No. 191;95 7.

scale, taken substantially on line 44: on 1' Figure 3,

Figure 5 a fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 on Figure 3, and

Figure 6 a side view, drawn to a smaller scale, of the apparatus-as it would appear 56 when in operation; the dyeing vat being shown in section.

The apparatus for plaiting the warp onto a suitable rack may be made in a variety of forms but, for the purpose of illustration, we have shown in the accompanying drawings an apparatus adapted to assistin carrying our invention into effect and which may be either supported in a suitable frame mounted on the floor or suspended from the ceiling by hangers 10 and 10*. A driving shaft 11, having a pulley 12 keyed to one of its ends, is rotatably mounted in hangers 10 and provided with a keyway 13 extending the greater part of its length. A clutch part 14, having a chain sprocket 15 fixed thereto, is rotatably mounted on one end of shaft 11 and a similar clutch part 14: rotatably mounted on the other end of shaft 11 and having a chain sprocket 15 fixed to it. A 76 clutch part 16 is slidably keyed on shaft 11 and adapted to engage clutch part 14 while a clutch part 16 is a apted to engage clutch part 14 i A clutch part 14 and a clutch part 16 comprise an entire clutch of any conventional type which is adapted to act quickly but smoothly and with a very small amount of movement on the part of clutch part 16. The well lmown toggle type of clutch would be applicable but it has been necessary to show clutch part 16 separated a considerable distance from clutch part 14 in order to plainly illustrate the operation of the apparatus, while, in reality, the movement of clutch part 16 would be so slight that its change in position could not be illustrated in the drawing.

A shaft 17, threaded the greater part of its length, is rotatably mounted in hangers 10 and 10 and carries sprocket wheels 18 and 18 near its ends. A chain 19 connects sprocket wheel 15 with sprocket wheel 18.

A sprocket wheel 15 is mounted on a stud shaft projecting from the frame and carries a gear 15 v which meshes with a gear 11 fixed to shaft 11. A chain 19 connects sprocket wheels 15 and 18. When clutch parts 14 and 16 are in engagement, and shaft 11 in rotation, sprocket wheel 15 will drive sprocket wheel 18 and actuate shaft 17 in one direction. When clutch parts 14* and 16 are thrown into engagement, gear 15 is thrown into mesh with gear 11 and shaft 17 is rotated in reverse'directions. l

A top rail 20 connects hangers 10 and provides a runway for a pair of wheels21 which are journaled in an auxiliary frame 22 while a bottom rail 23 connects the lower ends of hangers 10 and extends through suitable bearings 24 formed near the lower part of auxiliary frame 22.. Screw bearings 25 are formed in each side of auxiliary frame 22 and screw shaft 17 threaded therethrough, so that, as this shaft is rotated in one direction, auxiliary frame will be moved toward hangerlO, when shaft 17 is rotated in the opposite direction, it will be moved toward hanger 10*; wheels 21 supporting the frame and guiding itsupper end while the lower end of this frame slides on bottom rail 23.

As auxiliary frame 22 approaches clutch part 16, a contact 26, secured to one side of frame 22, will engage a stop. 27, fixed on a rod 28 havi'ngeach end hinged to a clutch lever 29 pivoted in brackets 30 secured to hangers 10, and move clutch part 16 out of engagement with clutch part 14 and; simultaneously move clutch part 16 int-o engage: ment with clutch part 14 and thus reverse theinovement of frame 22. As auxiliary frame 22 approaches clutch part 16 a contact 31, secured to the other side of auxiliary frame 22, engages a stop 27, causes clutch part 16 to engage clutch part 14 and clutch part 16 to disengage clutch. part 14 and again reverses the movement of frame 22.

A pinion 32, slidably keyed on shaft. 11, is held between a bearing 33 and one side of auxiliary frame 22 and meshes with a gear 34 fixed on a shaft 35 rotatable in auxiliary frame 22.. A gear 36, fixed on a shaft 37 rotatable in auxiliary frame 22, meshes with gear 34 and with a ear 38 fixed ona shaft 39 rotatable in auxiliary frame 22. A "roller 40 is fixed on shaft 35, aroller 41 on shaft 37, and a roller 42 on shaft 39 and these rollers are adapted to feed thewarp through the apparatus as will hereinafter be described.

A brace 43 extends across auxiliary frame 22 and has a socket 44 formed near its center which is adapted to support a plaiting tube 45 in such a manner that plaiting tube may rock in socket 44. A pinion'46 is secured to shaft 39 and meshes with a'gear 47 journaled; on a stub shaft 48 fixed to one side of auxiliary frame22. A..link 49 is provided in one end with a slot 50, which straddles a pin 51 fixed to the side of gear 47, and has its lower end keyed to a shaft 52 rotatable in the lower ends of auxiliary frame 22 and having a lever 53 keyed thereto in line with plaiting tube 45; the lower end of lever 53 being hinged to a strut 54 which is rigidly colrgmected to the lower end of the plaiting tu e.

It will thus be evident that, as gear 47 rotates, pin 51 will move along slot 50 and oscillate the upper end of link 49, rock shaft 52 and consequently oscillate the lower ends of lever 53 .and plaiting'tube 45. It will also be evident that, as pin 51 and stub shaft 48 come into horizontal alignment with one another, the movement of the lower end of plaiting tube 45 will cease and that its speed will increase as pin 51 leaves these two points and approaches its up ermost or lowermost position when it will be in alignment with shafts 48 and 52 and the lower end of plaiting tube 45 be moving at its maximum speed. The apparatusis so designed that the end of plaiting tube 45 will be immediately above one of the poles 55, forming a part of a rack 56, when pin 51 and shafts 48 and 52 are in alignment and is led from the original packtube 45. The mechanism is so timed that I the rollers will feed a doublelength of warp between these two poles. Thus, as gear 47 between two poles 55 While gear 47 is causing the end of tube 45 to traverse the space makes a half revolution, the rollers will feed a length of warp extending from the top of a pole 55 downwardly the desired distance and upwardly to the top of the pole again; the tube is then caused to pass over the top of the pole 55 by continued rotation of gear 47 and the same operation is repeated on the opposite side of this pole during the second half of a revolution of gear 47. As

the loops of warp usually extend 27 inches below poles 55, 54 inches of warp-is fed through tube 45 while it is moving over the space between two of the poles. As screw shaft 17 is being rotated constantly, auxil iary frame 22 Will move longitudinally of the pole 55 on which the warp is being plaited and stops 27 are so adjusted that contacts 26 or '31'will engage them and reverse the movement of screw shaft 17 when plaiting tube 45 arrives-at the end of a pole'55.

Screw shaft 17 is rotated at such a speed that the strands of warp lying across the top of poles 55 are positioned one againstthe other; so that each pole is completely filled with warp. 5

out of Rack 56 is supported in a carriage 58 during the plaiting process and this carriage is preferably suported on a suitable track 59 and adapted to be moved along track 59 by means of a chain 60 carried on sprockets 61 and 61 rotatably mounted in bearings 62. Sprocket 61 has a ratchet wheel 63 fixed thereto and adapted to be engaged by a pawl 64 pivoted on an arm 65 and held in engagement with the ratchet wheel bya spring 66 in the well known manner.

A rod 67 has one end secured to the outer end of arm 65 and its other end secured to one arm of a bell crank 68 pivoted in the lower end of hanger 10. The other arm of bell crank 68 is provided with an extension 69 adapted to be actuated by the end of shaft 52 just before contact 26 engages stop 27 so that rod 67 is moved upwardly and causes arm 65 and pawl 64 to rotate ratchet wheel 63 one notch; the relative sizeof sprocket 61 to ratchet wheel 63 being such that rotation of the ratchet wheel one notch will cause sprocket 61 to move chain 60 a distance equal to the distance between the centers of two poles 55 in rack 56.

Carriage 58 may be connected to chain 60 in any suitable manner as by having a projection 70 formed on one end and engaged bya block 70 secured to chain 60 or chain 60 may be provided with a plurality of blocks70, whichare so designed that they are adapted to pass around sprockets 61, or it may be provided with a single connection to carriage 58 and the'carriage returned to its starting position by merely lifting pawl 64 engagement with ratchet wheel 63 and pushing the carriage rearwardly.

In order that carriage 58 may be fed forwardly one space when auxilary frame 22 approaches the opposite'end of shaft 17,-we hinge a bell crank 71 in the lower end of hanger 10 and connect the upper arm of this bell crank to the lower arm of bell crank 68 by means ofa link 71. An extension 69 is formed on the lower arm of bell crank 71 and is adapted to be abutted by the end of rod 52 just before contact 31 engages stop 27 so-that carriage 58 may be fed forwardl just before the direction of rotation of sha t 17 is changed.

Racks 56 are preferably of such size that they will just nicely accommodate an entire warp. When rack 56 has been filled, carriage 58 is in a position in advance of the plaiting mechanism so that rack '56 may be liftedby a suitable hoist 72 and placed in a dyeing vat 73. Carriage 58 may then be returned to its starting position and another rack 56 placed therein and filled while the warp on the first rack is being dyed.

Vat 73 has not been fullyillustrated and will be but briefly describedas it may be of the well known Hussong type which is ordinarily employed for dyeing yarn in skein form but, in the present instance, the yarn carrying poles are not rotated. By referring to Figure 6, in which there is shown a longitudinal sectional view through a vat adapted for our purpose, it will be noted that the greater part of the interiorof vat 73 is occupied by a chamber 74 adapted to support rack 56 near its top and having a perforated bottom 75 spaced from the bottom of the vat; the distance between rack 56 and bottom 75 being suflicient to accommodate the loops 76 of warp 57 hanging on poles 55. A perforated cover 77 is placed over chamber 74 but does not come into contact with the warp on poles 55. One end and both sides of chamber 74 are closed by the vat walls but the other end is closed by a partition 78 spaced from the end of the vat so as to form a compartment 7 9. Dye liquor is circulated through chamber 74 by means of a suitable circulating wheel or pump (not shown) located in compartment 79.

In dyeing warp yarn according to our method, the end of the warp is led from the original package over and around rollers 40, 41 and 42, as previously described, and lapped over the end pole 55 in rack 56, carriage 58 having been previously placed in position.

Plaiting tube will oscillate to deposit a loop 74 first on one side of the pole and then on the other while auxiliary frame 22 is fed longitudinally, relativelyfto pole 55, by the action of screw shaft 17 until this pole is covered by adjacently disposed loops of warp.

Carriage 58 will then be fed forwardly to bring the next pole in posit-ion and screw shaft 17 will be reversed sothat auxiliary frame is fed in the opposite direction and plaiting tube directs warp over the length of this pole. This process continues untilthe entire warp has been disposed on the poles in rack 56 which is then removed from carriage 58 and placed in chamber 74. Carriage 58 is then provided with an empty rack and returned to the starting-position sothat this rack maybe filled as above described.

Cover 77 is placed over chamber 74, dye liquor let into compartment 79 until the level of the liquor is above cover 77 andthe vat cover, put into place and clamped down. The liquor is circulated in either direction desired and it will be noted that, when the liquor enters chamber 74 through bottom 7 5' and leaves through cover 77, the yarn is floated free of poles 55 so that the liquor may thoroughly. penetrate every part of it. After the dyeing operation is complete, the excess liquor ispreferably squeezed from the yarn, the yarn dried inthe usual manner and it may then be wound.

By the use of our improved method. it is not necessary to reel the yarn into skeins, unwind it from the skeins, place the skeins on the poles by hand or remove the skeins from the poles, thus affording a great saving in time, labor and overhead expense while producing an evenly dyed product.

While We have described a certain manner of dyeing warp yarn according to our improved method and have illustrated and described an apparatus for carrying the method into efleect, it will be readily understood that other apparatus may be employed and changes made in the method without departing from the spirit of the invention, and hence We do not wish to-limit ourselves to the descriptions given herein but consider that we are at liberty to make such modifications as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by I 7 Letters Patent is 1. The method'of dyeing yarn consisting of looping the yarn over one pole of a rack until the pole is filled,'leading the yarn to an adjacent pole in the rack and looping same over this pole until it is filled, continuingthis process until the length of yarn is suspended on the rack, and immersing the rack in a dye bath.

2. The method of dyeing yarn consistingof looping the yarn over one pole of a rack until; the pole is filled, leading the yarn to an' adjacent pole in the rack and looping same over this pole until it"is filled, continuing this process until the length of yarn is suspended on the rack, immersing the' floated free of the poles.

rack in a vat containing dye liquor, and circulating the liquor so that the yarn is 3'. The method of dyeing yarn consisting of suspending a loopof a predetermined length on one side of one pole of a rack, passing the yarn over the pole and suspending a similar loop onthe opposite side of the pole, feeding the yarn longitudinally of the pole until the pole is filled with loops, leading the yarn to an adjacent pole and similarly filling this pole, continuing this process until the entire length of yarn is suspended on the poles of the rack, and immersing the rack in adye bath.

4. The method of dyeing yarn consisting of suspending a loop of a predetermined length on one side of one pole of a rack, passing the yarn over the pole and suspending a similar loop on the opposite side of the pole, feeding the yarn longitudinally of the pole until the pole is filled with loops, leading the yarn to an adjacent pole and similarly filling this pole, continuing this process until theentire length of yarn is suspended on the poles of therack, immersing the rack in a vat containing dye liquor, and circulating the liquor so that the yarn is floated free of the poles.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

LAWRENCE A. STEAD. EDWIN E. CARLSON. 

